Yeah, I know this is late. Work on that next chapter took a while to finish and edit so I'm posting this super early Sunday morning.

Unlucky 13, here's to hoping that was only a joke as this is the first chapter written in 2025, as several of the prior ones were stuff I wrote in excess last December. This chapter also marks the first I've worked on since I got another commission, and like the first one, I won't share details yet, so you'll just have to wait for it to be posted as I need to figure out its plot and map out its chapters, especially now that I have a greater understanding of my writing style and how that interacts with the limit I imposed on commission work.

When it came to this chapter, it was not that hard to write, and it flowed really well from the notes to the actual finished product. I could even fit just about all the notes for 8 into it, which was a nice continuation of what happened with the stuff for chapter 7. Though someone wrote a review pointing out an error with how I spell Sunderland and how the knightmares are called Sutherlands, which I looked into. Yup, It's a mistake I've been making for a while now. So, going forward, I'll make the change.

Chapter 13: Black Dog and Green Cat

The morning air around Ashford Academy carried an unnatural weight, thick with the tension of students and faculty alike. Conversations were hushed, glances wary, and even the ever-present morning grogginess that typically plagued the student body was absent. Usually, the courtyard and hallways bustled with complaints about early classes, the rhythmic tapping of shoes on polished stone filling the space with idle noise. Today, however, silence reigned.

The cause was no mystery. Less than forty-eight hours had passed since Zero's dramatic debut—his daring rescue of a supposed regicide, the public unmasking of Prince Clovis's atrocities, and the utter humiliation of the Area 11 government. In a single stroke, he had shattered Britannian illusions of supremacy, turning their revered prince into nothing more than a coward and a butcher.

Throughout the academy, students whispered in tight clusters, their voices barely above a murmur. Others, holed up in their dorms, scrolled feverishly through their phones, refreshing news sites, or sat transfixed before televisions, absorbing every scrap of information.

Rumors ran rampant, each more outlandish than the last. Project Eden—an enigma, a nightmare—was dissected in hushed tones, its true nature obscured by speculation. Was it a secret weapon? A eugenics experiment? The truth mattered little; what did was that Clovis had considered it damning enough to order the massacre of an entire ghetto to conceal it.

Even their teachers were not immune. They moved with an uncharacteristic stiffness, trading cautious glances near the faculty lounge and muttering in clipped tones as they passed through the corridors. Some did their best to feign normalcy, but others could not hide their unease, their wariness mirroring that of their students.

When the morning bell finally rang, it barely registered. No one rushed to class. Thoughts of schedules and lectures had been displaced by far graver concerns. The Britannian students of Ashford Academy—heirs of politicians, executives, high-ranking officers, and nobility—had been forced to confront an ugly reality.

They had always been taught to trust in Britannia's righteousness, to believe in the honor of their empire. And yet, all of it would have remained buried if not for a masked terrorist forcing it into the light. Zero had not just exposed a scandal—he had shattered their carefully constructed world, making a mockery of the crown and the very ideals they had been raised to uphold.

Yet, in one corner of the school, within the Lamperouge residence, two individuals seemed unaffected by the weight that bore down on the academy. Lelouch and C.C. remained secluded in his bedroom, an island of eerie calm amidst the turmoil. Lelouch sat at his desk, only partially dressed for the day—his Ashford jacket still hanging neatly in his open closet. His focus remained on the screen before him, eyes scanning reports on Suzaku's case and the fluctuating tides of public opinion.

C.C., in stark contrast, lounged comfortably on his bed, a picture of indifference. Her usual restraint jacket now hung from a hook on the wall, while her thigh-high boots lay discarded at the foot of the bed. Instead, she wore one of Lelouch's dress shirts and nothing more, an act he knew was entirely deliberate. The oversized garment draped loosely over her smaller frame, slipping just enough to reveal the curves of her shoulders and the upper slopes of her chest, while her bare legs stretched out languidly across his sheets.

Lelouch prided himself on his discipline, on his ability to remain composed in all things. He was not so foolish as to be swayed by beauty, and he had long since grown accustomed to C.C.'s casual disregard for modesty. Yet even he could not deny the effect of her presence—an unwelcome distraction amidst the chaos he was attempting to navigate. Her choice to wear his shirt, to claim his space so effortlessly, imbued the moment with an intimacy he neither sought nor appreciated.

She knew it, of course. And that, more than anything, irritated him the most.

Sayoko had already noticed her antics. Though she remained silent, Lelouch could see the assumption in her gaze. No doubt she was telling his sister, and in the rare moments Nunnally wasn't dejected, she would remind him not to be so mean to his 'girlfriend.' Now, she even mentioned that among the student council, such rumors might serve as a welcome distraction.

Alas, stopping C.C. was impossible, as was convincing her to cut down on the absurd amount of pizza she ordered or to refrain from eating greasy junk food on his bed. He took a breath, reigning in his frustration. "I can't understand why you like that particular dish so much. It seems like it's the only thing you'll eat if given the chance."

"It's good. Tasty and filling." C.C.'s response was as vague as expected.

"Also, it's incredibly unhealthy. It's not even midday, and that's your third box." He had no idea where she put it all, but since stealing his credit card, she had ordered more pizza in a few days than he had in six months.

C.C. smirked, flashing the stolen card, which she kept tucked in her bosom—where she knew he wouldn't dare retrieve it. "Like I said, tasty and filling."

Lelouch pinched the bridge of his nose, willing away the impending headache. "Could you at least not eat it while wearing my clothes? That cheese smell gets everywhere, and I'd rather not have people think I live off junk food."

"Why did you call it Eden?" As expected, she dodged his complaint, but this time her tone was more serious. "I know you read the files and know its true name. And yet, you chose to keep that a secret. Why?"

C.C. recalled the moment in his hidden lair when she had ignored his protests against exploding the place while pored over the stolen Code-R data. He had gone deathly silent before unleashing a string of expletives so vicious she almost pitied Clovis, Bartley, and the researchers. Then, without another word, he had vomited into the bin by his desk.

His foul mood had lasted the entire day, not even time with Nunnally able to soften his rage. She had noticed, of course, but he dismissed it with a vague comment about reading something unpleasant.

Lelouch's typing slowed as he remembered. His fingers twitched with the familiar urge to desecrate his brother's grave with a rusty shovel—an impulse he had suppressed more times than he cared to count. Taking a deep breath, he steadied himself.

"I chose Eden for three reasons," he said finally. "The first was to sow distrust among our enemies. Very few know about you or Code-R, but since everything I said was technically true, they'll be hesitant to dismiss Eden as mere misdirection. Instead, those who believed they knew everything will begin to doubt whether there are secrets even they are unaware of."

"The second reason was to weaken the Purebloods' power, both internally and externally."

C.C. raised an eyebrow, pausing mid-bite. "Internally and externally?"

Lelouch glanced at her before nodding. "Internally, because it makes them question everything they have been told. If they can't trust what they knew before, they become paranoid and divided. Externally, because I highlighted their role in Clovis's actions, particularly in covering it up."

C.C. flipped through a magazine, her fingers grazing a full-page photo of Zero, captioned 'Who is he?' Lelouch smirked at the continued media frenzy, his eyes scanning reports of rising unrest, riots, and public outrage.

"The massacre might not have been illegal," he admitted, "but only the hardliners and staunch conservatives would dare say so publicly or stake their reputations on defending the Purebloods now."

"People are quite strange, aren't they?" Lelouch turned to C.C., who gazed off into the distance, her expression unreadable. "They never had issues with Britannia's laws before now. Did they never bother to check, or did they just not care? Who's to say? But it is odd how they're suddenly outraged over something that wouldn't have even landed Clovis a fine, much less prison time."

"Rich or poor, Britannian, Japanese, or anyone else—it doesn't matter. Everyone wants to believe in justice, in the impartiality of the courts… or at least, that's what most claim when asked." Lelouch leaned back in his chair, scanning a report about Tokyo's chief constable blaming the Purebloods for strong-arming the investigation, insisting there was no evidence linking Suzaku to the crime.

How many Japanese citizens had been arrested and imprisoned under his watch on trumped-up charges? Had he suddenly grown a conscience? Lelouch would wager half a million on the answer being no. No, this was all for show. With the world's attention fixed on this case, the authorities couldn't operate as they normally did.

He found it both amusing and disheartening. "Not just in Britannia but worldwide, most people who consider themselves educated, well-informed members of society don't actually know the full extent of the laws that govern them. And they don't seek them out. Why? Because, on some level, they know they'll find something they don't like. Something that, if they acknowledged it, might force them to change… or worse, disrupt the status quo they rely on."

"I noticed leading up to Suzaku's trial that there was no discourse about it. No questions about the speed of his arrest, no scrutiny of what evidence linked him to the murder. Of course, there had to be doubts—people who sensed something was off. But would they dare voice them and risk their safety or their peace of mind?" Lelouch turned his sharp gaze toward C.C., his expression betraying his contempt. His plan had succeeded precisely because of that cowardice, and he resented it as much as he loathed the ugly truths of humanity.

"And when you accused Jeremiah of manipulating the case, you forced them to question their faith in a system they already knew was flawed. But people hate self-reflection. If they looked too closely, they might see demons staring back at them. So instead, they turn their scrutiny and blame onto Jeremiah." C.C. mused, flipping through a magazine with Zero's masked visage staring back at her. Even the common folk had taken up the spectacle, with street-level disdain for the Purebloods growing, if the latest reports were to be believed.

It was so… performative. Less genuine outrage and more a desperate display, as if failing to act outraged would mean their morality was called into question.

"Remember, child, the worst insult you can use against the sinner is to call them such."

C.C.'s lips curled slightly at the memory, at the voice of the one who had once given her such bitter advice.

Lelouch let out a quiet, humorless chuckle, allowing his loathing to sink deeper into his soul. "I had planned to use my Geass on Jeremiah if he refused to cooperate, but it turned out my information on his fanatical loyalty to the imperial family was more valuable than I anticipated."

It always paid to listen when nobles and officials spoke. They were far too comfortable discussing sensitive matters in the presence of someone they considered beneath them. Often, all Lelouch had to do was step into the shadows, let himself be forgotten, and within minutes, they would spill secrets without a second thought.

He would continue to exploit that arrogance. It had made it almost laughably easy to craft a scenario in which the mere prospect of the royal family's reputation being tarnished was enough to force a margrave's hand.

"So, you used the massacre to put Jeremiah on the defensive, keeping him focused on damage control rather than allowing him to be proactive?" C.C. concluded, to which Lelouch nodded.

"I won't deny that I used the tragedy to my advantage. But I also did it to ensure that justice, however imperfect, would not be denied. Those who suffered and died because of Clovis won't be forgotten. I will see to that."

He exhaled, his voice steel. "And lest I forget, the third reason was to create chaos within the government. Britannia is a den of snakes and vipers who would sell out their own to save themselves. Guilty or not, they'll turn on one another, pointing fingers, creating fractures. And in that confusion, I can move freely."

His smirk deepened as he skimmed the latest articles, all filled with officials scrambling to shift blame.

"You speak from experience?" C.C. asked, not looking up from her magazine.

Lelouch's hands clenched before he forced himself to relax. His glare lingered on her for a moment before he managed to grumble, "…Yes."

She picked up on his mood, of course. She always did. And while it was tempting to continue teasing him, she decided to give him a reprieve. "Even without that, you've made quite the mess. Everyone is asking about you. Who is Zero? What does he want? Where did he come from?" She smirked. "Is Zero a woman?"

Lelouch rolled his eyes at that particular headline.

"With all these terrorist attacks galvanized by your debut, it's safe to say that Area 11 is in chaos. Was this what you wanted?" she asked, shifting onto her stomach and idly kicking her legs.

"This chaos is merely a means to an end," Lelouch replied, rising and slipping on his blazer with a practiced ease. He turned to regard her over his shoulder, his violet eyes gleaming. "Only through the destruction of the old order can a better one rise."

As Lelouch had anticipated, there was no morning council meeting, and three of the five council members were unable to perform their duties. Nina remained locked in her room, taking things even worse than he had expected. He truly felt bad for her, so he resolved to speak with her when the opportunity arose, to help her cope with her shattered faith.

Shirley and Rivalz were similarly affected. Shirley had yet to smile, and Rivalz, despite his attempts to put on a brave face, was clearly struggling. When Lelouch met with him the previous day, he had simply sat beside him, allowing his friend to vent his anger, confusion, and guilt. Only when Rivalz had calmed did Lelouch place a reassuring hand on his shoulder, telling him that he couldn't have known—none of them could have. It was a lie Lelouch told effortlessly, as natural as breathing, but revealing the truth would have been cruel.

That left him and Milly to handle council matters. The extra workload was only part of the problem; Milly was also concerned for him. She had asked him outright how he felt about Clovis's death. Of all the council members, she alone knew of his and Nunnally's past. He hadn't told her everything, but he could at least share his thoughts.

"Clovis was one of the few siblings I loved, Milly. Maybe I should feel loss, or grief. But all I feel is anger—that the man I knew became a monster. And even greater rage that he became such under my father's influence."

She hadn't brought it up again after that, but she kept an eye on him. He could appreciate that, even if she likely suspected he was hiding something. Which, of course, he was. She would never guess the truth—that he was the one who had killed Clovis.

Morning classes had been tense, like walking on shattered glass. The entire student body was on edge, and even the teachers were uncertain, their unease palpable. Lelouch could have played along, pretending to be as nervous as the rest, but the idea disgusted him. So he simply behaved as he always did. People noticed his calmness, but they had long since accepted him as detached and unflappable. Few would give it a second thought.

When lunch arrived, he chose to sit in the quad, bringing his laptop to browse news articles as he ate. He had just found an article confirming Suzaku's release when a familiar voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Lelouch."

He looked up to see Kallen approaching, her school persona noticeably softer than usual. "Do you have a minute?"

Lelouch shut his laptop and turned his attention to her, offering a polite smile. "Good afternoon, Ms. Stadtfeld. It's good to see that your health allowed you to attend school today. I would have thought you'd take the opportunity to rest, considering how dreary things are."

Kallen blinked before remembering that, technically, she should still be at home sick. With the way attendance had been lately, it might not have been that noticeable. "Yeah, well, I didn't want to stay cooped up in my room." She had her own reasons for avoiding home, none of which ended with her in a good mood.

But something in Lelouch's words struck a nerve. "Listen, could you… stop calling me Ms. Stadtfeld? It makes me feel older than I am." She couldn't admit that she hated her Britannian name, not without revealing too much. So she settled on a flimsy excuse, even if it made her sound vain.

Lelouch thought back to how she had acted during their meeting on the train. He could easily guess her real reasons. But that was for Zero to know, and for Lelouch Lamperouge to never even consider. "Personally, I see no reason for a woman to be self-conscious about her age. But if that is what you wish, I shall abide by it, Kallen. Would you like to take a seat?" He gestured to the spot beside him.

Kallen shook her head. "No, I'm good. I just wanted to ask about… well, the other day." Her cheeks flushed slightly as she clarified, "You know, with the whole bathroom thing."

Lelouch felt a sudden heat creep up his face. He coughed into his hand, trying to keep his composure. Why was she bringing that up? "Was… there something I did to offend you? I assure you, I have not breathed a word of it since."

Kallen strangely believed that, probably because even with their limited interactions, he didn't act like most other boys in school. Besides, if those perverted idiots knew she had flashed someone, they would have been leering at her more than usual. "No-no, you didn't do anything wrong. I was the one that…"

Lelouch bowed his head, eyes closed in quiet penance. "Still, it's shameful that I didn't immediately look away when you did so. My mother raised me better than that, and for that, you have my sincerest apologies."

'Dammit, stop being so damn pleasant!' Her blush only deepened. There was no teasing, no ulterior motive she could detect in his voice. She had come here for a reason, not to get flustered by the school's most desirable boy. "The phone call, could you find out the caller ID? I would like to contact that person again."

Ah, that made sense. The number he had used to call her from Tokyo Tower had been a burner. "It was a school phone, so if you wanted that information, you'd need to ask the principal. He's something of a maverick, but age has made him more of an adult, so I doubt he'd help you meet with your gamer friend."

Kallen felt her hopes deflate. It had been a long shot, but she had hoped for some way to speak with Zero. There were too many unanswered questions, too many things she needed to understand. As she mulled over her thoughts, Lelouch couldn't help but indulge in a little teasing, scratching his chin in faux thought.

"Come to think of it, wouldn't you already have their number or something? You spoke as if you were familiar," he mused, playing the part of an inquisitive schoolmate, watching as she scrambled for an answer.

"Oh, well… you typically don't share that information online, so I…" Kallen trailed off, cursing herself for not thinking this through better. She barely knew anything about online gaming, only the basics and general safety rules. If she wasn't careful, it would look incredibly suspicious that someone she couldn't contact directly had been able to reach her at school, of all places.

Lelouch frowned slightly, giving her a concerned look. "Forgive the assumption, but you didn't happen to share your details during one of those aggressive gamer moments I've heard about? I understand such instances can bring out the lion in someone, and considering how strong your grip was for a sickly girl…" He lifted his wrist as if recalling the pain she had inflicted. There were no marks, but the memory was still fresh.

Kallen turned crimson at the reminder, resisting the urge to smack her past self for getting too caught up in the moment. "Yeah… not my finest moment," she muttered, deciding to play it off as an online slip-up. Hopefully, he would assume she had only mentioned her school in a heated exchange and nothing more.

His gaze lingered for a moment, making her fidget before he let out a sigh, dropping the subject. "There's nothing to be embarrassed about, Kallen. Moments like that show how invested you are in things and how frustrating it can be when things don't go your way. I've played a few games myself where one unexpected variable ruined everything." He glanced past her then, and his expression darkened.

C.C., for once, was not dressed like an escaped asylum patient—instead, she was prancing about in his clothes.

"That girl—!" Lelouch hissed, his frustration evident.

Kallen picked up on his irritation and turned to see what had rattled him. "Girl? What—?" But before she could fully turn around, Lelouch did the first thing that came to mind—grasping her cheeks to keep her from looking

Unbeknownst to either of them, Shirley happened to be walking by on the upper floors. From her angle, the scene below looked undeniably intimate. Her steps faltered, her gloomy thoughts momentarily displaced by shock.

'What are they doing?' Shirley's mind reeled as jealousy sparked. Her concerns over Eden and Shinjuku were momentarily drowned out by the image of Lelouch holding Kallen's face. Milly's words about 'beastly male instincts' suddenly felt much more relevant.

Lelouch, entirely unaware of her presence, kept his gaze locked on C.C., who, instead of fleeing in shame, had the audacity to smirk and wave before leisurely strolling out of sight.

"Excuse me, what are you doing?" Kallen's voice was muffled by his hands, and her patience was rapidly running out. The only thing stopping her from reacting violently was how absurd the situation was.

"What indeed…" Lelouch muttered before quickly withdrawing his hands and bowing. "My apologies. There was a particularly… vexing peer of ours. She's not someone you'd want to get involved with."

"And that required you to grab my face?" Kallen asked incredulously, crossing her arms.

Lelouch's mouth twitched. Yes, he could see why that was a terrible excuse—but he could work with it. "I admit, it wasn't my most brilliant idea, but it seems to have worked. She got the message and left."

Kallen scrutinized him for a moment before sighing. "Right…" She decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. Maybe he wasn't as smooth as he pretended to be.

"Well, thank you for the information," she said, shifting topics. "I'll try to be more careful about what I share online."

"If you ever need help with that, or if someone online starts giving you trouble, just come to Milly or me, and we'll sort it out," Lelouch offered with a smile before collecting his laptop and heading off in the direction C.C. had gone.

Neither of them noticed Shirley standing frozen in place above, her mind spinning with new worries. She turned on her heel and rushed down the halls, muttering that it wasn't true. She nearly bowled over Rivalz, who barely managed to dodge in time, watching her go with confusion. "What the hell got into her?" he wondered aloud.

Lelouch had managed to find C.C. and drag her away before she was seen. He was grateful that the gloom over the school left most of his hallways clear while the school's cameras only focused on its entrances; otherwise, he would need to delete them as he pulled C.C. up to the roof, where he could lay into her.

"Are you insane? You can't just walk around, especially while wearing my clothes!" He had enough problems with his schoolmates and the insane rumors they cooked up; if even one of them saw C.C. in his clothes, it would be throwing fuel onto the fire. And that was the best-case scenario, one that ignored the possibility of the authorities learning of her.

C.C. broke his hold on her, and like a cat, he just strolled on by without so much care. "I'm not one of your little pets, Lelouch. If I want to do something, I will. It's as simple as that." She told him, looking up at the lovely weather and ignoring how Lelouch ground his teeth at her antics. "And I wanted to go for a little walk, or will you deny that after keeping me locked up?"

He didn't know if she was purposely comparing his instructions to keep out of sight to Clovis locking her for ungodly experiments or if he just filled in that blank himself. All he knew was that it sickened him to even entertain the thought he shared anything more with Clovis than blood and a bastard of a father.

Cooling his frustrations, he tried to be reasonable with her. "Just…why my clothes then? For someone that claims they aren't going to cause problems, you couldn't do a better job of it." Lelouch wasn't nearly as fashionable as his peers who cycled through outfits every damn season; he had the same outfits for almost 2 years now, so people would recognize what she wore as his.

C.C. turned to him, a smirk on her face not unlike a Cheshire cat playing with a grumpy hound. "Nunnally's don't fit, though, she offered, and I'm not going to dress like your maid, who, sidenote, needs to have more in her wardrobe than one casual summer dress."

He wouldn't give her the satisfaction of hearing him agree with her on Sayoko's odd preference to dressing like a maid nearly always. "If you spent half as much of my money on pizza on clothes, then you wouldn't need to both my clothes and potentially get people to think you're my mistress or whatever the hell the school rumor mill cooks up."

He could only speculate and fear what the Glamour club would do if they thought he had finally 'cracked' and gotten a girlfriend or worse…what Milly would do. He shivered at the prospect.

C.C. ignored his little comment about her dietary habits. The boy wasn't nearly as gentlemanly with her as he was with others anyway. Instead, he walked to the rallying and looked down at the lower roof, where a strange thing was happening. Some students were facing the wall on the other end, scratching at it with a compass. She didn't even seem to notice them.

"What's going on with her?" She asked.

"She's going it again today?" Lelouch replied, hardly surprised as he approached to observe it as well.

"Again?" C.C. turned a curious eye to him.

"I used my geass on her. Whenever reasonable, twice a day, she'll mark that wall with 3 plus signs." He casually revealed as the girl went to work on another one.

"You're testing how long it lasts?" C.C. smirked at him, as that could be the only reason she could think of…well, other than him being childish about it.

"There is still much I don't know, in no small part because of someone refusing to answer questions," Lelouch gave the side-eye, but she felt no shame for her silence, getting him to grunt as he continued. "So I need to experiment to know its abilities and shortfalls to maximize its potential."

He chuckled a little, turning to her with a devious little smile. "Maybe I'll use it on you to limit the pizzas to one box daily."

Shame for him that she was hardly affected by his little threat as she leaned back, her hands grasping at the stone guard rail. "Would it work on me, I wonder?" Lelouch sighed, as that was as good as her laughing at the idea that he could order her to act as he wished.

"Should have known, but a man can dream, can't he?"

"About subjugating women?" C.C. raised an eyebrow at that, to which he sent an unamused glare.

"About not needing to worry about pizza growing into a major household expense." He retorted as she could try and put words in his mouth all he wanted; it wouldn't work when she wasn't using his sister as cover.

"Oh, don't be so stiff; you have the funds for it, don't you?" C.C. replied but still saw that he was worried. However, he tried to hide it from her as she rolled her eyes and looked back to the girl, who had just finished and was still under the effects of geass, walking towards the roof entrance and quietly leaving, not once turning to them. "But rest assured that I won't do anything that will get you for your little cub thrown into the pound. We're partners, after all."

"Great, you're doing it too," Lelouch muttered, as his friends knew how much he disliked being called a momma bear.

C.C. laughed at that, but it sounded different from most of the laughs he'd heard from her. It wasn't mocking, bitter, dry, or angry. It was genuine amusement as she turned back to him and lifted her hand to his face, her thumb gently stroking the bullet scar on his left cheek.

Others believed his lie, but she was there when he got it. She saw how little it and his other wounds phased him as he brutally killed those men for the crime of hunting the innocent and bore witness to the fury and glee with which he did it. "It's true, isn't it? Besides, unlike your friends, I've seen you angry. You're vicious."

Strangely, her touch calmed him. Not just his heart but his soul, as well as the ever-present maelstrom of hatred and fury in his head, felt…more bearable now. Only Nunnally's touch had ever given him such a feeling, and he instinctively leaned into it, his eyes closing as he, without thinking, sought after this solace.

C.C.'s smirked and lost some of that amusement and sarcasm as she felt this wasn't a moment for it. So she reached her other hand for his face, pulling the taller man to her level without an order; he just followed her lead. "Is it such a bad thing to be a momma bear, boyo? It's not like the only part of you not geared toward malice and blood. Or were you just teasing little Kallen out of a whim?"

Her question would go unanswered, though both understood that his refusal to speak only confirmed her words. But for now, she wouldn't hold it over him as she moved down, pulling her down with her. Lelouch's arms came up around her, gently holding her as they just enjoyed this sweet moment between the two.

Eventually, they separated, and after making him groan for a while longer for her amusement, C.C. finally agreed to return to his room. Of course, she casually mentioned she was feeling peckish, which, in Lelouch's experience, meant ordering at least three more pizzas before he returned from his afternoon classes.

By the time the day ended, a few loose council tasks still needed to be done—some minor work requiring his and Milly's attention. What should've been quick stretched into an hour thanks to Milly's flair for theatrics. When Lelouch finally returned to his room, his worst fears were confirmed—C.C. was sprawled out on his bed, surrounded by three empty pizza boxes and a fourth in hand.

At least she had changed out of his clothes and into her usual restraints. Sighing, he settled at his desk, shrugged off his blazer, and unbuttoned his collar.

"This is what I know about my Geass so far," Lelouch said, opening a secure folder on his computer where he kept his findings. "It requires direct eye contact, but glasses and sunglasses don't seem to obstruct it. Tests indicate it has no effect on animals—only humans."

C.C. didn't comment, chewing as he continued.

"The effective range is about 270 meters, and the target retains no memory of the command. The memory loss extends two minutes before activation, possibly affecting brain function. I've ordered neurology textbooks to study it."

He paused, tapping at his keyboard before continuing. "Since it's optical, mirrors could reflect it. If that works, I could issue commands to out-of-sight targets in creative ways." Satisfied, he saved and encrypted the document, then closed both the file and folder.

"You've learned quite a lot," C.C. mused from the bed, sounding genuinely intrigued. "But there's something you mentioned earlier."

Lelouch turned slightly in his chair. "What's that?"

"You said the girl only marks the wall at 'reasonable' times."

He nodded. "Correct. She's not an outlier. I ensured my long-term orders wouldn't disrupt her life. Each command activates under specific conditions."

C.C. tilted her head, prompting him to elaborate.

"For example, the girl will only mark the wall if: first, she has free time, like a break or a free period; second, there's enough time for the trip; third, the door leading to the roof is unlocked; fourth, the weather is clear; fifth, she's physically at school; sixth, she's still an Ashford student; and seventh, the wall is still standing."

C.C. raised an eyebrow at the list.

"Only when all seven conditions are met will she mark the wall," Lelouch continued. "That's why she's done it only eighteen times. She'll probably continue for another two years."

He hadn't planned for such specific conditions, but after Shinjuku, he'd reconsidered. The people he commanded back then had followed orders without hesitation, even overriding survival instincts. His Geass could override social norms and reason itself. With only one use per person, he had to be cautious.

"You know," C.C. mused, stretching, "you could speed up your experiments with the data you stole—"

"No."

She blinked at the speed of his refusal. He even turned his back to her.

"Hmm?"

"I would sooner sing the emperor's praises and bow my head about the literal devil than ever do so, not with how that data was…" He paused, his hand flexing open and closed as he took a breath to keep his fury contained. "Collected." He ground out.

C.C. wondered about that reaction. "That doesn't make sense, does it? You were willing to send rats to eat men alive, slaughter dozens of your fellow countrymen, and put 3 bullets in your dear brother to slowly kill him. You even went on to gloat about all of that for all the world to see." She sat up on the bed as Lelouch turned to her. Her golden eyes peered into his violet ones; the mysterious woman whose name he didn't know was trying to spot something, to judge his actions and see if his heart matched them.

"You did all that, and now you refuse to use some data? Why? It's not like you can change how you got it; all that matters is that you have it. It would be foolish to disregard such a boon, soft even." At her words, he couldn't help but let out a snicker.

"You're not wrong, I am avoiding the pragmatic route, the easy route." He conceded. "Such a thing could and probably would be called idiocy when I'm fighting an empire that controls one-third of the world. Such a foe means that I'll fight dirty, lie, cheat, steal, and kill thousands, no-hundreds of thousands before I claim victory."

He got up and walked up to the window, the setting sun casting a warm orange glow over Ashford and his room. He looked down at the path where his sister sat with Sayoko, several birds, and a couple of dogs at her side. He had spoken with Nunnally when he returned from his council duties, but she hadn't been in the mood for it, even if she tried for his sake. Clovis's actions weighed heavily on her.

Despite that, he didn't regret outing his brother's sins, as it was the right thing to do even if he didn't gain anything from it. Ensuring that Clovis would be remembered for the monster he was…Yet, he wished his sister could still hold onto those pure memories of the time they shared. Lord Almighty, those memories were a significant reason neither shattered over the years.

Clovis's downfall only cemented his refusal to use the 'easy route' here. "I know all that, but I refuse to accept it because," He paused, seeing how despondent his sister was even if he couldn't hear Sayoko's efforts to cheer her up. "Because I need limits. Lines I won't cross, things I won't condone. If he doesn't, if I let myself go down into that place…"

He turned to C.C., the woman seeing that in his gaze was something different. It wasn't mere worry or fear but a deep, visceral dread—the eyes of a man who had found something that he feared above all else, even the specter that was death.

"Then what would be the difference between my siblings and me? Between my father and I? How can I hope to create a world where my sister can be happy if I can't value the sanctity of life? Enforce principles I couldn't abide by?" Lelouch reached for his cross, which he had carried with him for years, and grasped it tight, holding that its presence would ground him.

C.C. understood now what Lelouch feared. He didn't fear death; he didn't lose or defeat. He feared losing himself. To become someone like his brother, who could commit such evils and feel nothing, a man whose actions would leave his sister heartbroken. Feeling bad for bringing up something unpleasant for him, she acted.

Getting up, she approached him by the window and gazed towards his sister. "There is strength in valuing your humanity, even over your goals." She conceded though Lelouch cackled, a hollow and bitter sound as he kept his gaze on his sister.

"Perhaps with others, but with me, it's purely selfish." He told her. "I've lost a great many things. A place of safety, trust in family, innocence, morality, and even the right to happy dreams. All I'm doing now is holding onto one of the few things I still have. If I lost that as well, I would either become a rabid dog that needs to be put down before I hurt others…or a husk, one with no reason to live forced to exist."

His words, especially his last ones, resonated with C.C., who found herself grimacing, unwelcomed memories coming to the surface. Still, she couldn't deny that she could understand more than he understood the pain of a life without meaning, purpose, or love. It was a terrible fate that made death into the sweetest of mercies.

Silence befell them, as neither knew what to say, an odd thing for the two who had learned how sharp-witted the other was. Ultimately, Lelouch broke the silence.

"You must find that entire thing foolish like I'm being a stubborn mutt, even a hypocrite, as it's not like I'm gathering willing and informed test subjects for my geass." Lelouch mused with a sigh.

"I do find you a strange one. A violent, vindictive hound that still wishes to hold onto his morality," C.C. replied but followed it up with. "But that's not something I would call foolish, never foolish. In fact, it's perhaps the most humane thing you could do."

"But you'll need strength, more than you have now if you plan to defeat a foe like Britannia." Still, that was the elephant in the room, wasn't it?

"Is it good to be strong?" Lelouch countered, looking out towards the settlement. "Since I was 9 years old, that has been a question that was never far from my mind…no, even before then, it was something I had pondered."

His frown grew more pronounced as he knew that beneath the gleaming towers and clean streets was a rot eating away at Britannia, at the world. "If it's a good thing to be strong, then why do the strong not work to create a world where others can find strength? Instead, this world is filled with ills, decay, filth, corruption, greed, apathy, starvation, cruelty, constant wars, and terrorism."

"Britannia might be my enemy, but I'm not blind to the fact they're not the only ones who suffer from these evils. And yet, like rats in a wheel, it's a cycle created by and maintained by us if we keep going as we have." He stated, turning away from the sight and walking away, leaving C.C. to turn her gaze to him from the window, the lingering light of the setting sun framing her like an otherworldly figure.

"Sounds idealistic to believe it could be broken if everyone contributes to it." She challenged.

"Ideas keep humanity sane, giving people hope, as if not for a better future, so why do anything?" Lelouch asked, to which she didn't have an answer. If one didn't have a future, then…all they were was existing. "Though I'm not so arrogant to believe that I alone can solve it, even if I succeed, these could be issues which could outline me, but,"

"But?" C.C. asked him.

"But if I can spark the fire in others and tend to it so it becomes a raging inferno, then my efforts to change it wouldn't have been in vain." Lelouch replied that people could care again if they could fight to improve the world. Then he was sure the rot could be found and uprooted before it ruined everything.

"And to have this utopia, what would you do?" C.C. asked, only for Lelouch to smile at the notion.

"I scoff at the idea of a utopia; such a thing is as fantastical as the concept of this world being flat." He shook his head as he turned towards his table, where a chess board still sat, seemingly mid-game with pieces scattered about it, others set aside after being taken out. "Instead, my solution to break this cycle is simple." He picked up the black knight and toppled the white king.

"When someone wins, it'll end. Maybe not me, but I can set the board up so a like-minded person who takes my place could. even better if they aren't as disturbed or sin-riddled as I am." At his assertion, it was now C.C.'s time to laugh at such a thing.

"Do you truly believe you could achieve such lofty goals? Remember your contract and the curse that is geass." She stated as she approached him, wrapping her arms around him and leaning into his back. His muscles tensed at the sudden contact, which made her smirk. "You'll live a different life to humans, a different providence."

He surprised her when he turned and held her, pulling her close as he gazed into her surprised golden eyes, a smirk of his own. "I haven't forgotten, and I remember what I told you when I agreed, that I'll never be free or alone. Besides, I might live a different life, but you never said I'll live separate from humans."

"Oh, well, someone's bold." C.C. recovered quickly as she pushed him, only he tripped and fell on his bed with a grunt. Looking up, he was silenced by C.C. crawling on after him, setting her side down on top of him as her hands came to his shirt-covered chest, feeling around him as he reddened at the contact, C.C. taking all the amusement she could from his chaste reaction.

"I don't think you'll do it. I don't think anyone can break the cycle you hate so much," she started. When he moved to the counter, she shut him up by leaning forward, grabbing him by his face, and kissing him. Lelouch went wide-eyed as he made a surprised sound, maybe demanding she stop, but she only used the chance to deepen their kiss before she pulled back. "But you can try and prove me wrong."

Lelouch found himself in unfamiliar waters as C.C. slowly reached for the zipper of her clothing and started pulling it down, exposing more of herself to his perceptive gaze. His face remained red as he tried to regain control. "Is this a joke?"

"It doesn't have to be." She replied as she wiggled her shoulders free and pulled her arms around, allowing him to see the underwear she wore beneath it, which wasn't the lewdest. It was comparatively conservative, but just the fact she was presenting her underwear to him got a reaction out of him, one she could feel forming in his pants.

Arousal or not, Lelouch wouldn't let this just be some twisted game as he flipped them over, restraining C.C.'s hands over her head as he peered down at her. Still, it wasn't in anger or annoyance but something resembling concern. "Is this really what you want?"

C.C. rolled her eyes. "Don't worry about that. If I didn't want you touching me, I'll fry your brain, remember?" Lelouch frowned as he released one hand and gently grasped her cheek. He leaned in to kiss her lips; he enjoyed her taste, even with the lingering pizza flavor.

Pulling back, he leaned into her neck and laid a couple kisses there, getting her to shiver under him. "Just because you can do that doesn't mean you have to rely on that. Right here, right now, tell me if, in your heart, you want this."

"I want this." As soon as she said that, his efforts doubled as she let out a grasp as he pulled her arms back over her hand and held them down with just one hand, giving him free rein over her as he continued to kiss her, moving from her neck back to her collar, his other hand moving to gently cup one of her breasts.

He smirked as he laid kisses across her collar, sure that some would leave marks, but if she was so uncaring about people seeing her…"I might be a virgin, but I've been friends with Milly for 4 years now, so I'll be well-equipped to handle beautiful women trying to get a reaction out of me." His hand shifted from her bosom to getting her out of her one-piece swim-suit style underwear.

"Don't, it's not a pleasant sight." She seemed strangely meek about it, but he wouldn't have it. Annoying as it was, he preferred it when C.C. was herself.

"C.C. if your personality hasn't turned me away," she glared at him for the comment, but he appeased her wrath by kissing her across the cheek and nose. Then nothing will. Will you let me see it?" She seemed to consider it, and just as when he thought she would refuse, she gave him the slightest of nods.

Lelouch, eager but also careful not to overstep his boundaries, set to work pulling the restraining jacket off her body completely and then setting to work on her underwear as he found the clips and zipper and pulled it down, revealing to him C.C.'s nude body. Like the rest, she was faired-skinned with a slim, toned body. When it came to her breasts, he couldn't be sure about their size, if they were that big or not, but he could say they drew him like a moth to a flame.

His silence got to her as she tried to wiggle free, as she knew that he would have this reaction to the ugly scar she had under he left breast shaped like the geass sigil; it was why she went out of her to keep it covered. Lelouch disproved that when he shifted down and started to gently kiss across its length, from the left breast where he suckled on her nipple, getting a gasp from her, down its length. When he was finished, he returned, releasing her arms to get up, and started removing his shirt.

"Some people have scars on their hearts and minds, but sometimes," he started as he removed his shirt and tossed it to the side. They have scars on their bodies."

C.C. had seen him shirtless before, during Shinjuku. Still, in an environment where death via knightmare or bomb was low, she had time to properly inspect him. His body wasn't as skinny as she thought, nor was he in peak form, as he seemed like someone who kept in shape but didn't try to perfect that.

What did stand out to her was the scar on his left side as well, from his waist going up a couple of inches; he also had a terrible-looking scar, the skin having been badly burned and now forever rugged, uneven, and ill-formed. She wanted to ask him about it but reasoned that they could share such stories later and the pain that came with them; right now, she wanted to experience some pleasure.

"Be patient with me; this will be my first time in the saddle." Lelouch asked of her, only for C.C. to give him a smile that was too much like a lioness' for his comfort.

She didn't give him a say in it as she flipped them over again and practically tore off her briefs and his pants and underwear. "Don't worry, I'll guide you through it."

"Sayoko, will my brother be coming down for dinner soon?" Nunnally asked as dinner was being served, and she was the only one there.

"I'll go ask him, Ms. Nunnally." Sayoko smiled as she finished placing the food on the table, ensuring everything was where it always was for Nunnally's sake. She turned and walked out to fetch the young master.

She had only been gone a minute or so before she returned. Nunnally placed her spoon down when she noted how hurried Sayoko's typically controlled footsteps were and how her light footsteps were, while she seemed to be breathing a little heavier than normal. Was she carrying something heavy? "Sayoko?"

Sayoko had to take a moment to collect herself, as she hadn't even gotten to the point of knocking on the young master's door when she heard what was happening inside the room. Her imagination filled in the blanks, but now that she had a moment to collect herself, she couldn't keep the pleasant smile off her face. "It seems like Master Lelouch has decided to stop acting like he and Ms. C.C. aren't romantically entangled."

"Oh," Nunnally replied before it dawned on her what that meant, and she started giggling. Even if she was a little embarrassed about the entire thing, she couldn't help herself. At least that was one good piece of news. Well, it was about time. He can be too stubborn sometimes. So, will they be joining later?"

Sayoko took her seat next to the young mistress to help her should she need it and because she insisted that she have dinner with them. "I believe so, but it will be best to give them time to…properly interact."

After Lelouch lost his virginity to C.C. and his sister managed to stop poking fun at him for 'finally accepting things' they had a rather happy dinner as it seems like his romantic engagements were what Nunnally needed to hear about to get out of her funk. He could accept that, even if now she and C.C. openly conspired against him if only for their own amusement.

His sister teasing him about C.C. spending her nights in his room and how he shouldn't let that leave him 'tired' in the mornings was just the pain that came from it and her spending too much time around Milly.

But the sun dawned on a new day; he woke up, got ready for school, ate breakfast, kissed his sister goodbye, had a genuinely non-frustrating conversation with C.C., and left for class. Taking his usual seat, he was prepared to sleep through it, but their teacher announced that they had a new student started with them, which always seemed to get the rest excited, but for Lelouch, so long as they didn't give him more work or get on his nerves, he could care less.

He was about to doze off regardless when the door opened, and their new classmate walked in, to which Lelouch was unable to stop the face of sheer jaw-dropping shock from forming on his face.

"Starting today, I'll join you as a new student at Ashford. My name is Suzaku Kururugi." Suzaku said, standing before a group of flabbergasted students. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

I hope you liked that chapter. I was trying to create a parallel between how Suzaku and Euphemia see the aftermath of Zero's debut and how Lelouch and C.C. see it, as they're very different people on two separate sides of this conflict. Also, I limited the scope as one duo explored the settlement and the ghetto, filled with people they didn't know, while the other observed a smaller group known to them, at least in passing.

As for Lelouch's aversion to using the Code-R research, that isn't just to keep him from getting too much of an upper hand. Like the chapter paints it, it's to show that this version of him, having that knowledge, is able to put clues together faster than canon and ask himself, 'Is this what I'll do?' which is a solid no. He might be a ruthless pragmatist, but he's still a stubborn prick who rejects everything his family is.

Also, I did want to write the smut scene, but as you can tell, the chapter was long enough. So, if I get the time, I'll write the interlude covering it, which would be maybe half the length of a typical chapter.

The next chapter will be out on February 22nd

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